Publisher’s Note: I suspect that many of our members first read about graphene in the SNS Global Report. Today, there are startups worldwide, national programs in graphene commercialization and research, new laboratories for certifying graphene purity and chemical composition, a new Center of Excellence planned for creation in California, and the Graphene Stakeholders Association, co-founded by SNS member Steve Waite. (Disclosure: I am an advisory board member.)

While much has been done to accelerate research and compress development times, we are still in the early days of this long-term story – which should create excitement among the entrepreneurs in the crowd. It seems as though hardly a week goes by without a new scientific discovery about graphene’s growing list of electrical, chemical, and physical properties, and of their potential commercial applications.

Amid all this excitement, it is important to remain aware of what is real and what is hype, and one of this year’s FiReStarter companies – Nanotech Biomachines – is in the perfect position of knowing what its customers are doing with, and paying for, graphene in its many applications.

Whether you are interested in computer transistors, RF transistors for cellphones, high-power batteries, more-efficient solar cells, printable electronics, flexible touch displays, wearable smart devices, or a host of other industries in which graphene now has an edge, this week’s discussion by Nanotech CEO Will Martinez will likely whet your appetite for more information and steer you away from the wrong path. – mra.